In the Star Trek: TNG episode “Coming of Age,” no one’s favorite character, Wesley Crusher, had to pass a series of tests to be admitted to Starfleet Academy. One of the tests involved a man rudely bumping into Wesley in the hallway. At first, Wesley apologizes, but then realizes the man isn’t human; he’s a Zaldan— a people infuriated by courtesy, viewing it as a phony social behavior designed to cover true feelings. Wesley adjusts his behavior and fires back a snotty retort about the man watching where he’s going. That makes the Zaldan smile, and he goes about his way.
As a young girl, I couldn’t understand how a culture could be that way. How it could ever be preferable to dispense with tact, manners, and “being the bigger person.”
Then I became an internet personality. I get it now.
They Do NOT Come in Peace
There is a type of online trolling/harassment called sea-lioning. If you’re one of my more well-adjusted and normal readers, you probably haven’t heard of it. It involves peppering…